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"So all this time you’ve been looking for jobs in other states?" Kenneth's voice rises in anger. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"It just came out of nowhere. I didn't know what to do," I say, trying to explain. “I didn’t apply on my own! My resume must have been in the system and matched the criteria they were looking for or something.” I reach for him, and he pulls away. “Kenneth, please, I’ve been really enjoying this time we’ve spent together…”
"Is that why you're with me?" he asks, his voice laced with bitterness. "So you can use me until you find something better?"
"No, of course not!" I protest, but he's already standing up, his face twisted.
"I can't believe you'd do this to me, Kasey," he says, shaking his head in disbelief. "I thought we had something real here. I guess I’m worth about as much to you as my son, right?”
I’m on my feet as soon as he is, begging him to let me explain myself more, heart pounding so hard I can hear its echo in my own ears. This is spiraling out of control so fast that I don’t know what the hell to do. I never expected that this would be his response, and I’m panicking!
I watch in silence as he storms off, leaving the remnants of our date still set up on the blanket. Tears prick at my eyes, and I’m rocked by a sense of overwhelming sadness. He must think I’m a terrible person, or that Devin was right all along about me just using him for revenge…
Without anything else to do and feeling numb, I sink back down to the blanket and nurse my glass of champagne, hoping beyond hope that once Kenneth cools off, he will come back to me.
I sit there for what feels like hours, staring up at the stars like I’ve done all night, lost in my thoughts. The night that was once so romantic now feels like a complete disaster. How could things have gone so wrong? I thought we were connecting so well, but now I feel like everything is ruined. I don't know what to do now. Sure, it’s wild to be falling for a man after so short of a time, but what I feel for him is real.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Maybe I should have told Kenneth about the job offer this morning, but it all happened so fast. I didn't have a chance to process it myself before I was telling him, too. Any hope I had of Kenneth helping me decide what to do about the interview is now dashed. I made the wrong call somewhere along the line.
Maybe…maybe this is for the best…
But no, that's not what I want. I want Kenneth, I want this relationship to work. But how can it when he doesn't trust me? How can I make him see that this job offer is unexpected, that I didn't plan for this to happen?
Ugh! Finishing the glass of champagne, I sit it aside and wrap my arms around myself, letting the wind pick up the strands of my hair and making it dance around my face. I hate how vulnerable I feel right now. But I know that I need to talk to Kenneth, to try and make things right between us. I stand up, brush off my dress, and head back to my own room, hoping he'll be there waiting for me.
The walk back to the main part of the resort is long, but it gives me time to clear my head and get my emotions under control. I know I have to make Kenneth understand that I’m not leading him on and that there is a path forward for us somewhere if he can just work with me. As I reach the door, I hesitate. What if he is inside but he's still angry with me? What if he doesn't want to talk? I take a deep breath and push the door open.
Inside, the suite is empty, except for my luggage and my things scattered about right where I left them. With a lump in my throat, I exhale slowly and begin to pick my things up, packing them back into my suitcase. Each small thing I grab feels like another piece of my broken heart.
5
KENNETH
Tuning out the presentation about the correlation between increased growth and employee satisfaction, I pull out my slim laptop and power it up. No one else at the long table gives it a second thought, but they don’t know that the last thing I’m doing is taking notes.
In truth, I can't stop thinking about Kasey's interview. It's like a worm burrowing into my brain, gnawing away at my concentration. I've thrown myself into work to try and forget about it, but every time I glance at my phone and don’t see her name there, I feel this sickening mix of anger and anxiety.
I can't believe she would even consider leaving me for some other job. Wasn't she happy with me? Wasn't I enough? And who the hell who offered her the interview?
My own company is what I should be concentrating on, but it’s impossible. It takes less than a minute to figure out that Kasey is interning at a rival firm—Bradshaw Investments—and I clench my jaw at the knowledge. Mark Bradshaw isn’t as successful as I am, but his company does well enough. That being said, he’s an asshole, and I’ve disliked him more and more each time we’ve had the unfortunate chance to be in the same room together.
Still, we aren’t actively antagonistic towards each other, so I swallow my pride and send him an email that, under any other circumstances, I would never stoop to doing. The lie rolls off my fingers and onto the keyboard effortlessly, and when I hit send, I can only hope he doesn’t fact-check anything I’ve just said.
Mark, the email reads. A friend of the family, Kasey Mulligan, has told me that she received an interview offer for a significant jump in position at your company—from intern to web designer. She said that tuition reimbursement is being offered, but that it would require a move, which naturally makes her nervous. I was wondering if you could send me a sample of the employment contract she would need to sign so I can have my legal team look it over for her? I’m sure everything is above board, but just to make her more comfortable. I’m sure you understand. The girl is more than capable, but she seems flustered because she doesn’t remember even applying for the position, but feels positively about it nonetheless. I’m sure you understand.
Kenneth
It doesn’t take him long to get back to me, and the presentation I’m still sitting at is wrapping up as I read his response, my confusion only growing with each line that I take in.
Kenneth,
No problem. The contract is attached. Yes, she’s a bit young, and we normally only offer tuition reimbursement for employees pursuing their masters, but she attached numerous letters of recommendation and her cover letter that came with her resume was so compelling that I figured we’d give her a shot. Let me know if I can do anything else for you.
Mark
So she did apply on her own, which means she lied right to my face. I close the laptop, forcing myself not to slam it shut, and pull out my phone, typing out what I plan to be the final message I will ever send to Kasey. I may care for her deeply and be so attracted to her that it short-circuits my brain, but I can’t abide a liar.
Even if, lying there under the stars with her, I had been ready to tell her that I loved her.
